Are oaks like people?

The first TLC easement was accepted in 1991 from Leta & Alice Clark at the corner of Thompson Road & Route 120. The sisters wanted to be sure that their "Wildflower Preserve" was never developed, despite a friend's comment that the corner "would make a perfect spot for a gas station" one day! Actually, legend tells me that the friend's comment is what led the sisters to seek out someone to help them make sure that fate would never befall their lovely corner.

The photo was taken in April 2010 while driving past on Route 120, heading from McHenry to Woodstock. About 10 years ago, IDOT redid the intersection and took some land along Thomspon and 120, which I believe led to the eventual die-off of several oaks that were very near to the roads.

There was an enormous bur oak right at the corner that died in 2009. Some say "fungus" was the cause, but I feel in my heart that the bur oak's fate was sealed as soon as its roots were cut and crushed during the road work a decade ago.

I have started to think of these oak trees as if they were people. It's not that far-fetched, really. Sure, they live 2-3 times longer than most people, but they cannot reproduce until they reach some stage of maturity -- about 20 years old. Each oak is unique, and grows more distinctive as it ages.

As most people age, it isn't usually one thing that kills us, it's some combination of things that add up over the years. Well, why wouldn't it be the same for our oaks?

I would like to think that we can afford these elders a little respect, rather than seeing how much abuse they can take before they succumb?

Celebrate with TLC on January 31st!

Ninety one years ago this month, January 6, 1919, Teddy Roosevelt died in his simple house on the outskirts of Oyster Bay New York. His passing affected many, for he was recognized by Americans in his day as a friend of the people and a man of courage.

TLC is pleased that the former President will come to life on January 31st at our Annual Meeting, giving those present a chance to meet the man responsible for preserving millions of acres of land through the creation of National Parks, the designation of National Monuments, and the establishment of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

We are still taking reservations, but with nearly 150 people signed up for the event, we will run out of room soon! Please visit our website to make your reservation today. Member tickets are just $35, and non-member tickets $45 (which includes a year membership - what a deal!!)

Among the items that will be included in the "Local, Green, Natural & Handmade" Silent Auction is a salesman's copy of the 1919 book 'The Life of Theodore Roosevelt" written by S. Draper Lewis. The book is in fair condition, but the many photos included in the book are all in good shape.

The brunch starts at 11am, TLC's awards program will begin at 12:30, and the President will speak starting at 1pm!

Bully!

Another Amazing Year

By the numbers, 2009 was an amazing year for TLC. Another 263 acres of precious McHenry County land will never be developed.

- ten conservation easements preserving a total of 200 acres of land.
- one land donation preserving 3 acres.
- one land purchase of 60 acres.

A huge THANK YOU to the landowners who chose to place permanent conservation restrictions on their land, ensuring that future generations will enjoy the beauty and abundance that these lands provide.

As in other years, the numbers are only part of the story. The places preserved include:
- twelve acres of critical recharge for the Boone Creek Fen
- 26 acres adjacent to MCCD's Glacial Park
- 60 acres of sedge meadow that provides a critical stepping stone of habitat
- nine acres of oak woods that are a remnant in the oldest glaciated area of the county
- 75 acres of sustainably managed tree & shrub nursery land
- four acres of buffer for the Parker Fen
- nine acres along the Nippersink Creek
- an ancient grove of hickories
- 16 acres of high quality wetland adjacent to MCCD's High Point Preserve
- three acres adjoining the 150 acre Finch Farm that TLC preserved in 2007
- three acres along Pistakee Lake, presrving a family legacy that has been passed down for most of a Century.

There are many more stories like these waiting to be told! Stories of people, land, and people with the land! I'll take the time to tell some of these stories in the weeks ahead.

If you can attend our annual meeting on January 31st, you'll have the chance to meet some of the people behind the stories! Hope to see you there.

Giving Thanks

As the month of November comes to a close, and before the ever-busy month of December begins, I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks for 2009.

Thanks to the Board Members of TLC for being such excellent stewards of the vision that started this organization twenty years ago! In 1989, the idea of a local land trust working with private landowner to preserve those precious places in McHenry County that would otherwise fall through the cracks was just that - an idea! Over the last twenty years, the board of directors has ensured the vision and mission are clear, and the work moves forward! Thank you!!

Thanks to the awesome women I work with every day: Linda Balek, Cheryl Perrone and Jackie Eberle (shown here on a vernal pool outing with easement donor Susan Tauck). They are so much more than "employees"! Each one of them finds ways to go above and beyond her job description every day to make The Land Conservancy more than the "sum of their parts," and to do what each can to build an organization that embodies the mission and vision. THANK YOU!

Thanks to the growing number of conservation easement donors for choosing to preserve their land - forever - by permanently restricting future development. These individuals want to make sure that generations yet unborn will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and bounty that the land provides! Ninety percent of the land TLC has preserved was protected by these private conservation agreements! Their choices will have a lasting impact on the landscape of McHenry County. We are grateful to each of them for choosing to work with TLC to preserve their land!

Thanks to the many volunteers who work to help restore the land, complete mailings, file documents, and run events. TLC is a small organization in some ways, but the combined effort of our volunteers makes us mighty indeed! The scope and scale of work that volunteers make possible cannot be understated! TLC's volunteers ROCK!

Thanks to TLC's members and supporters. In these times of economic uncertainty, we are so fortunate to have steady supporters who make this work possible. Their (your!) support means that nearly 1,800 acres of McHenry County land have been permanently preserved forever. Remember, TLC does not collect tax dollars to pay our bills or to buy land! We work closely with private landowners to help them preserve their land - forever. And member support makes that possible.

There are many more thanks to give, for there are many individuals and organizations who do what they can to make this work succeed! Thank you all.

Memorial Tree Planting Approaches

On May 23rd, TLC will have its second annual Memorial Oak Planting! This is a program we started in 2008 to provide local residents with a unique way to create a living memorial.

There are two options available:

- for $50 per tree, TLC will plant a tree for you to commemorate a special occasion (like a birthday or anniversary) or remember a loved one. TLC will send a certificate to the person of your choice to memorialize the planting.

- for $35 a tree, individuals can come and plant an oak themselves. (Each additional tree planted is just $20, so two trees would be $55 if you plant them yourself.) Planting times are at 9:30am and 11am for those who wish to plant their own tree. Call the TLC office 815-337-9502 to reserve your time.

As I am writing this, I think we have 40 trees ordered! That is going to be a nice oak grove one day! We will erect a sign to commemorate the planting.

We are very excited about the location of the planting: it will be at one of our newest easements, the 25 acre Hennen Conservation Area on Dean Street in Woodstock. The site where the trees will be planted is currently lawn, but will be restored to savanna over time as a demonstration of how people with oaks can convert their lawns to savanna if they have oaks.

The Hennen property is in the process of becoming a public park, so the grove of 2009 Memorial oaks is ensured of a good home for the next 100+ years!

Visit http://www.conservemc.org/ to place your order.

TLC's 2009 Annual Meeting a Celebration of People & the Land they Love!

About 130 people gathered at the Bull Valley Golf Club for The Land Conservancy's 2009 Annual Meeting Sunday January 25th. The audience re-elected Sandra Scheinfeld and John Sterling, and elected new board member Jim May (not pictured here!)

Two individuals were presented with the Living with Trees Award for 2008: Dale Shriver for his tireless management of nearly 80 acres of remnant oak woods that he owns, and Robert Roe for his tireless efforts to restore the fen and oak woods at Dutch Creek - all on land that is protected by a conservation easement in his subdivision, Dutch Creek Estates.

The stories of five easement donors were shared with the audience:

- Dale Shriver & Judy Rogers for their 53 1/2 acre easement on the oak woods that MCCD didn't want to buy - but they wanted to be sure it was protected. The woods, which have been there since at least 1837 when the first public land survey was done for the county, have been sustainably managed for many years. At some point in the past, the white oaks were harvested to make bowling pins! So if you find any wooden bowling pins at an antique mall, just think - they might have beem made from Marengo oaks!

- Marty & Lynn Sobczak (who were unable to attend) for the 3 acre easement they dedicated on land that adjoins MCCD property on two sides, and contains the last natural lily pond along Nippersink Creek.

- Randy & Karen Stowe and Orrin & Patricia Bangert for dedicating conservation easements on land they own adjacent to the MCCD High Point Conservation Area. Their willingness to pledge that they would donate conservation easements on their land if MCCD purchased the adjacent natural area that contains the highest glaciated point in the State!

- Phyllis & Tony Hennen (who were unable to attend), for choosing to dedicate their 25 acres south of Woodstock as a conservation easement, and donate the land to the City of Woodstock as a public natural area. Attorney Jane Collins accepted their plaque for them. Ms. Collins was instrumental in the "Stop the Stacks" Peaker Plant battle that the Hennens fought for years, even turning down a very high offer from the peaker plant company, choosing not to sell out their home. Today, their choice means that not only is there no peaker plant south of Woodstock, but there will be a public park for all future residents, forever.

Numerous green, organic, local and homemade items were available in a silent auction. Where else can you get an organic turkey, organic onions, and organic honey in addition to a hand woven-silk shawl and hand carved wooden bowls.

Personally, I'm thrilled that I had the winning bid for the Farmer John Gift Bag that includes the movie "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," a copy of the Farmer John Cookbook, two Angelic Organics t-shirts, 2 pounds of organic coffee, two jars of organic honey, a pound of worm castings to use as a soil amendment, plus a delicious collection of handmade milk soaps!

Batavia author Gina Olszowski delighted the audience with her story based on her self-published book. Gina is the youthful 25 year-old author of Coming Soon to a Town Near You: Voices of Urban Sprawl. The book combines black & white photos with excerpts of interviews with residents and public officials to tell the story of urban sprawl and the effects it has on communities.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to it being an inspiring day!

Happy New Year!

As 2008 draws to a close, and 2009 looms on the horizon, it seems time to stop and take stock of where we've been, where we are today, and where we are heading, doesn't it?

Despite the economic downturn, our members and supporters have been wonderful, and we are finishing the year in good shape financially. Thank you!

From a conservation standpoint, it was a blockbuster year with some amazing projects completed: the key 40 acres at West Woodstock Prairie (still looking for a knock-out name for the site!), 53 acres of beautiful oak woods across the road from MCCD's Marengo Ridge preserve (thanks to Dale Shriver and Judy Rogers), and a 3 acre addition to the protected area at Barber Fen in Greenwood (thanks to Marty & Lynn Sobczak).

As we look into the early days of 2009, we see several other land protection projects coming together - perhaps as early as the Annual Meeting on January 25th! Be sure you join us at Bull Valley Golf Club at 11am that day for brunch and to hear our speaker, Batavia author Gina Olszowski, as she tells her story of suburban sprawl. It's just $35 for members (and if you are not yet a member, $45 which includes a special introductory membership in TLC)!

Looking further into 2009, we will be continuing to build our local support through a matching grant from the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. For each new dollar we raise through increased giving levels from existing members, brand new members and returning members, the foundation will provide matching funds up to a total of $35,000 over two years.

In 2009, you can expect to hear more stories from TLC - stories of people and the land - as world renowned storyteller and author (an new TLC board member) Jim May helps us put the right words together to help convey the magic that occurs when someone loves the land so much that he or she chooses to permanently restrict the development of that land.

Also in 2009, you'll see TLC planting many more oak trees as we start a program to assess our easement properties for their oak reforestation potential, and then working to help them realize that potential!

TLC's land protection efforts continue

At the May 7th TLC board meeting, permanent protection will be granted to nearly 94 acres of McHenry County land! Both project have been in the works for a couple of years.

Dutch Creek Conservation Area, a 37.5 acre TLC easement at Dutch Creek Estates subdivision in Johnsburg adjoins property owned by MCCD and another Dutch Creek easement held by the District. The easement comes with a long-term management agreement for the wetlands, riparian area along Dutch Creek, and the upland buffer areas. Funding for the management will be paid through the Homeowner's Association.

Haligus Road Sedge Meadow (I just came up with the name), a 56.4 acre wetland and upland buffer area in Lakewood at the Woodland Hills subdivision will be preserved forever by TLC through a permanent conservation easement combined with a long-term management agreement that will be paid by the Homeowners' Association.

Dutch Creek is considered one of the highest quality headwater streams in the Chicago area. Uncommon fish species like the Orangethroat Darter and various types of minnows are found there. While the development will have road crossings at two creek branches, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and US Environmental Protection Agency made sure that the construction of the road culverts would not disturb the fish during their spawning season which started about April 1.

The Haligus Road Sedge Meadow had not been thoroughly studied until a wetland delineation report was prepared for the subdivision proposal. With management, TLC expects to see this site flourish, much as the Prairie Ridge Fen in Woodstock dramatically rebounded over the last 10 years through our on-going management.

Both projects will provide excellent opportunities for local residents to experience what I like to call "Neighborhood Nature." Frogs, toads (like the baby American Toad in the above picture), turtles, and an abundance of birds will reside at and visit both sites. Dutch Creek will continue to provide a home for many uncommon fish species, and together, people and nature will thrive!